Universal Audio UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt 3 - QUAD Core

UAD-2 Satellite is a portable Thunderbolt 3 DSP Accelerator that lets you run Universal Audio’s industry-defining powered plug-ins on Mac and Windows 10 PCs.

The UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt is a powerhouse DSP accelerator that gives Mac and Windows 10 users complete access to the world’s most detailed and authentic analog emulation plug-ins, available exclusively on the UAD platform.

Bolstered by next-generation connectivity — and backward-compatible with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 UA devices — UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt 3 lets users run large professional mixes with the rich analog character of award-winning UA-developed plug-ins, including exclusive titles from Neve, Fender, Lexicon, Studer, and many more.

Universal Audio UAD-2 Satellite QUAD Core key features:

• Run UAD Powered Plug-Ins via Thunderbolt 3 on modern Mac and Windows 10 systems (backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 1 and 2 devices)
• 4 (QUAD) SHARC processors provide a massive DSP boost for running large professional mixes
• Access over 100 plug-ins from Ampex, Lexicon, Studer, Neve, Manley, SSL, EMT, Helios, and more
• Includes Analog Classics Plus bundle featuring Legacy editions of LA-2A Classic Audio Leveler, 1176 Classic Limiting Amplifiers, Pultec EQP-1A, Pultec Pro, and Fairchild 670 plug-ins, plus 610-B Tube Preamp & EQ, and more
• Compatible with Pro Tools, Logic Pro X, Cubase, Live, and more
• Combine with other Thunderbolt-equipped UAD-2 devices including PCIe card(s), UA Audio Interfaces, and additional Satellites
• Dual Thunderbolt 3 ports for daisy-chaining of Thunderbolt peripherals
• Also available with Custom software packages featuring user-selectable plug-ins

Outside The Box

The UAD-2 Satellite QUAD Core is an external DSP unit that connects to modern Mac and Windows 10 systems via a Thunderbolt 3 connection. That’s right, a simple Thunderbolt 3 cable* is all it takes to plug into Universal Audio’s ultra accurate analog hardware emulations. UAD-2 Satellite DSP Accelerators come in a sleek and easily portable package with a choice of two processor configurations: the QUAD, or eight-core OCTO—with two or four Analog Devices SHARC floating-point processors respectively. The rear panel of the UAD-2 Satellite QUAD Core has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and power supply connector to make traveling with your UAD-2 Satelite a breaze.

The UAD-2 Satellite QUAD can be daisy chained to any mixture of thunderbolt 3 devices. For additional mixing power, the scalable UAD-2 Satellite QUAD Core can be combined with other UAD hardware, including Apollo, Apollo 16, and desktop computers equipped with UAD-2 QUAD, or OCTO PCIe DSP Accelerator Cards. The differences between the two are primarily their different connection protocol and form factor.

* Thunderbolt 3 cable sold separately.

Inside The Box

To free your laptop or iMac for other functions, such as mixing audio, running samplers, or soft synths, the actual plug-in processing is offloaded to the UAD-2 Satellite QUAD Core DSP Accelerator. The end result is that you can add substantial power to your studio and run more professional mixes on your system. To help you get guaranteed performance out of UAD-2 Satellite QUAD, there are settings in the UAD Meter and Control Panel that let you allocate the fixed amount of Thunderbolt 3 bandwidth that UAD-2 Satellite will consume. This ensures the same number of plug-in instances is available from session to session.

The UAD-2 DUO Core comes with the UA “Analog Classics” plug-in bundle, which includes Legacy editions of LA-2A Classic Audio Leveler, 1176LN / 1176SE Classic Limiting Amplifiers, Pultec EQP-1A, Pultec Pro, and RealVerb Pro. Of course, you can add whatever UAD plug-ins you like at any time. The UAD-2 Satellite DUO can run the full library of UAD-2 powered plug-Ins, giving you access to stellar emulations of the world’s most popular and sought-after analog gear at your disposal, ranging from studio classics to modern must-haves.

What separates UAD plug-ins from the rest is physical modeling of classic audio hardware. Universal Audio’s engineers, which comprise some of the world’s leading DSP authorities, including PhD-level scientists from Stanford, MIT, and Cambridge, essentially “rebuild” vintage analog gear in the digital world, component by component. That’s how UAD-2 plug-ins replicate the exact and sometimes quirky, non-linear behavior of analog hardware—bringing its rich, three-dimensional sound and euphonic character “in the box.”

Physical modeling is a much more difficult and time-consuming process than the signal modeling approach used by many other “emulation” plug-ins. UA’s meticulous approach means that UAD-2 plug-ins not only sound like the original vintage hardware; they behave like the original devices, at even the most extreme settings.

Apart from the pure science of physical modeling, the quality and accuracy of UAD Powered Plug-Ins can also be attributed to the relationships Universal Audio maintains with its partners. UA goes right to the source of the hardware, whether it’s Roland, Neve, Manley, Studer, SSL, Lexicon, Empirical Labs, EMT, Trident, etc. Using original manufacturer’s schematics and “golden” units, UA engineers work closely with the original designers throughout the development process, ensuring that UAD plug-in emulations are as close to their analog counterparts as possible.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of the UAD-2 DSP Accelerator cards is the ability to add new plug-ins as your needs or desires dictate, or as new ones are developed—and when it comes to customer feedback, UA does take requests. The UAD-2 library now features over 90 plug-ins, co-developed with the biggest brands in audio, including Studer, Ampex, Lexicon, Eve, Manley, Roland, SSL and more. These exclusive plug-ins can be purchased alongside UAD-2 DSP Accelerator hardware as part of the “Custom” and “Ultimate 2” packages, or you can buy UAD plug-ins à la carte from UA’s online store.

With records being made in multiple locations, now more than ever it’s important to have portability and repeatability. Travelling with outboard gear is rife with liabilities and expenses, and of course we all know that an analog box in one studio won’t sound exactly the same as the same model in another. Universal Audio has solved these problems and made traveling with your favorite gear easy with the Thunderbolt 3 UAD-2 Satellite DUO Core DSP Accelerator.

Professional mixers and engineers such as Mick Guzauski, Joe Chiccarelli, Ryan Hewitt, and many more, have been mixing hits with UAD plug-ins as a mainstay of their processing power. Thanks to the UAD-2 Satellite DUO Core DSP Accelerator and UAD powered plug-ins, that same high quality processing is now available for Thunderbolt 3 equipped computer users.

Hit the road, or take your hits on the road—whichever comes first—or work from any space-challenged location with a Universal Audio UAD-2 Satellite QUAD Core Thunderbolt 3 DSP Accelerator. For more information, call or chat with an RSPE representative today.